HopeForSpring

Excellent episode. It revived my hopes for the next one!

I liked this episode. It was cohesive, it flowed, it wasn't "action-packed" but it was a good pacing episode. I felt like there were real feelings invested by all the characters. There have been more action packed episodes that really didn't hang together as an episode or make me emotionally engage with the characters, but this did. A lot of the complaints seem like the usual "too many boobies" "not enough fighting" "kill the bear!" (sorry that's new) But I seem to have firewalled the books and the TV series in my mind a bit more than some. And I'm glad the bear lived. There. I said it.

Last weeks had a more epic ending but the writing and editing of this one had a much more cohesive feel. There were fights, there were feelings, a little bit for everyone.

I think they have some constraints because of dealing with real people with real acting careers. They have to give more scenes to the actors they do have and are important - like Varys, like Theon - so they can keep them around for the indefinite number of years this might take. So we end up with scenes that aren't in the book like Varys and QoT Meanwhile actors that are seen in the first season and then not again until many seasons later - like Mago - might as well kill them of in case the actor isn't around. I didn't like what they did to the Night Watch at all (no sam the slayer, no holding of Mormont's head...) but in general they are doing a tough job of collapsing characters really well.

The Dany parts saved this episode from being lower than a 6 for me. The non book readers I was watching it with are completely confused. I agree with the lack of emotionality around Mormont's death. The "Tell my son to join the watch" was important. I don't think they even get or remember that that is the same as the dude with Dany. I could live with the Pod joke in the last episode. In this one it is sophomoric. Beric has no Pathos. I'm good with the back filling of seeing what happens to Theon rather than just hearing about it snatches of memory. Any scene with Margary in it is good. She's rocking it.

I think that D&D are doing a really good job of collapsing the story while getting the flock of characters through the right gates at the right times. Every season is a Meereenese Knot for them. Do I think it is different, yes. However, I still think it is excellent and I am learning a lot about the the differences between TV and book story telling from this adaptation. I rated this episode a 7, not because I didn't like it but because I am looking forward to even better episodes later! I need a range at the top :)

Hi, I'm HopeForSpring. I enjoy both the books and TV series. Westeros.org is a great resource for deepening my appreciation of the books now that I'm doing a re-read. It's fun to read all the different theories that people are presenting, although I feel I'm a little late to the party. I originally posted some of my theories here inside a spoilers tag as a type of introduction, but no one else had so I took them out. I don't want to cause trouble. Thanks to all for creating such a vibrant community!